The History Of Lindos In Rhodes

Yes, there is the Acropolis, The White Village, the sunshine, the beaches and so many things to see and do, but you would be surprised how many people visit and then leave again having little to no understanding of The History Of Lindos In Rhodes.

I will be the first to admit, no matter how many times I go to Lindos, I am captured by the setting, the beauty, the architecture and the vibrant feel of the village. I too will openly admit, I have visited and left without knowing anything as to why it is all here. I was so busy saying ‘WOW’, and I forgot everything else!

It was only later I asked the questions. What was its purpose? Who built it? When was it built? Plus many more!

Well, I have made a huge effort to learn as much as possible about this historic location, and I have been to take some photographs which will all be shared with you in this section dedicated to Lindos!

I promise you, I will cover all I can here, including a tour around the white village and a visit to The Acropolis. You can visit them all using the tour buttons below. First though, let’s take a few minutes to look at the fascinating history of Lindos!

So, Myth Or Fact? The History Of Lindos

We all love Greek mythology. It brings fantasy to our minds, but we are often left

The Views Of Lindos

questioning what actual events took place in the past.

According to this mythology in Lindos, it is said that the village was found by Danaos who was the King of Egypt’s son! Danaos absconded to Rhodes from Egypt with his 50 daughters (The Danaides) as he was afraid of his twin brother (Aegyptus) along with his 50 sons.

From here Danaos and his daughters are said to have constructed The Temple Of Athena in honor of her who helped them with their escape! In this myth, Danaos went on to travel to mainland Greece where he went on to command for many years.

An Alternative Myth

An alternative to this myth is Danaos having only three daughters. They were named accordingly as Lindos, Kamiros and Ialyssos! These names went on to be the names of the 3 original cities on the island where these daughters were canonized and admired.

The 12th Century

The First actual evidence of life in Lindos is believed to be in the 12th Century BC.

In these times and during The Trojan War, Lindos was a massive power when it came to controlling the seas and its naval abilities were extremely forceful and robust. Lindos was seen as the most dominant town on the island of Rhodes. This was the case due to its operational ports at the time and the dominating Acropolis which guarded the surrounding area!

This power was retained, and during the 7th Century BC it controlled most of the shipping and commerce throughout the Meditteranean Sea. This in turn grew into a solid income and soon it was able to support its own province and territory.

Also, the Lindian people were well respected when it came to sculptor. The Famous Colossus Of Rhodes itself (one of the seven wonders of the ancient world) was commissioned and built by Chares of Lindos and was completed in 282 BC.

The Statue Of Cleobulus In Lindos

The Rule Of Cleobulus (Son Of Evagoras)

Come the 6th Century BC and under the control of the poet and native Lindian Cleobolus (Κλεόβουλος in Greek), Lindos hit its peak of expansion.

Although referred to as a tyrant by some, it is well documented that under the 40 years of control by Cleobulus, Lindos flourished and became a very successful village at that time.

The reason he was so successful, is that he was said to have been the first to support public works and was able to raise funds from the local people.

With these funds, more was achieved and this is when The Temple Of Athena (originally built by Danaus) was reconstructed.

The Combining Of The 3 Cities

After the Greco Persian Wars between 499 until 449 BC ended, Lindos, Kamiros and Ialyssos combined in 408 BC to form what is known today as Rhodes Town which now lies on the most northern part of the island.

Once this new town was in place, many of the local Lindian people moved away from Lindos to reside in the new town. Naturally all the shipping and sculptors left with them!

Lindos still held onto the trade however when it came to the seas. Entering the more modern era though, the ports of Lindos soon declined.

The Knights Of Saint John during their reign on Rhodes maintained the shipping and trade, but once they were overrun by The Ottoman Empire things really changed.

The Turkish had little in the way of interest when it came trade, so they allowed the local Lindian people to run it all as they wished to do so.

See The Video For Some Amazing Views Of Lindos

Lindos Today

These days, you will find the shipping and trade all operated from Rhodes Town. Lindos however has continued to flourish due to its history and iconic Acropolis.

A lot of the original dwellings in Lindos have been restored whilst keeping there original features in mind. With this, you can still walk through the Lindos of today and at the same time have a great taste of its history and past.

So, let’s continue. Use the buttons below to take a tour of the Acropolis Of Lindos, The White City and the Beaches!

Let me know if you have any questions too. Ask them in the comments below and I will get back to you. Have you visited Lindos yourself? Maybe you would like too? I would love to hear from all of you.

Thanks

Chris

Learn Lots More About Lindos And Its History. Click From Below To Continue Your Tour.

(24) Comments

Chris, I would love to check myself into a Rhodes Hotel, rent a scooter or a bicycle, and take your Website (or you personally if not too busy) and experience the same thrill you received on your trip to Rhodes with the bay as the history you described is stenciled in my mind.

What a prolific writer you are writing the descriptions about just about every subject.

I grew up around the sculpture and the statue of Cleobulus was a wonderful picture. It looks like it was made of some metal.

You said the people were well respected when it came to sculpture. Did you mean that they appreciated sculpture and the other arts such as poetry? Or did you mean the people were respected when it came to sculpture because the people were noted for their sculpture?

You put us right there in watching the videos. I was there in my imagination too when you described the different modes of traffic. If I were there, I would take my bike (a 7 speed fortified bike) and follow the clear and wonderful list of categories to speed along with your prolific accounts of everything.

This is such a wonderful website because one has to come back to read more of everything.

Thank you so much for getting in contact Judy, it is great to hear from you and please accept my apology for the late reply. I have been somewhat occupied with things here as I am planning the next section of the website, and it has taken longer than I wanted. So no fear, I will keep writing for sure 🙂

Sculpture, Poetry and The Arts were (and still are) very important here. People do respect all of these and there are museums you can visit to get up close to them. It is something very important for the history of Rhodes and I think it always will be.

Thanks for watching the videos too. I feel sometimes seeing something can really get things clear whereas words cannot. I think it adds more of an experience for people 🙂

So, get yourself here, and no, I am not too busy 🙂 If you need anything at all just let me know. I am here!

The concept that Lindos, Kamiros and Ialyssos combined together to form Rhodes town is very intriguing. It is interesting how once the new town was set in place, the sculptors and shippers left with them. So to this day, Lindos is still operating their trade routes. That is important to maintaining a country’s economy.

I enjoyed watching the video at the end. I would like to visit one day.

Although this area was mainly a shipping area all of them years ago, all of the shipping, trade and passengers that arrive and depart by boat is now operated from Rhodes Town. There you will find all of the harbors in full swing.

Lindos now is mainly a tourist setting, where people flock to see The Acropolis and neighboring areas. It is a very beautiful area and not to be missed out on during your visit.

I do not think the Greeks alone when it comes to taking the history for granted. I have met many people while living in Rhodes from all around the world, and they say the same.

I also have one friend that lives in Rome. He is 42 years old and he never even been to the Coliseum. I think it is easy to overlook things when they are part of your heritage. A lot of people will say ‘there is always tomorrow to see it’.

I hope you manage to visit Rhodes some day. You are right, It is a beautiful island.

I am helping my daughter with a paper she is writing for school about Greek mythology and that landed me on your post. There is so much history and you bring up some very interesting points about just exactly how that history has played out. Thank you for sharing some great insight here.

Additionally, I would like to say that I have always wanted to visit Greece. Everything I have seen, it just looks absolutely beautiful. It is definitely on my bucket list of places to travel to someday.

It is also great to hear that there is a restoration effort to maintain the history of Lindos. Thanks again, this is a great read.

I am happy you like the information on the site. I do not live in such a bad place and it is great you had a look through the site.

Although the Colossus of Rhodes has long been destroyed, it is said that plans are being put into place for a rebuild. I do not know if this will come to fruition, but if it does, it will also be a great site. We will have to see I guess.

When it comes to Cleobulus, he is said to have done great things for Lindos and its people, however he was referred to as a tyrant by some others. One of these was a man named Lucius Plutarchus who was a Greek biographer. This was all to do with democracy at this time.

Was he a tyrant though? Other people for example called him ‘The King of The Lindians’. It all dates back to the 6th Century, so many of the events that took place could have been lost, and are now a matter of opinion!

I have to be honest and say I have not read this material by Edith Hamilton. I will take a look around and see if i can get my hands on a copy. Thanks for the heads up!

It is true what I say too, the first time I visited Lindos I was absolutely mesmerized by what I saw. It was just such a privilege to be there, I was thinking about remembering my visit and what I saw as opposed to concentrating on the history. i am sure lots of people are the same too.

I hope this site serves people who want to learn something that maybe they missed it on their trip here, or if they are a planning a visit and want to learn something ahead of time! Hey, they can even use it as a tour guide too if they wish.

Really fascinating story of somewhere I have never specifically heard of before. So much history along with such beauty and a gorgeous beach as well. I think any visitor could do with a history lesson prior to a visit and your article is certainly enticing.

I would love to visit one day. The Greek islands conjure up a picture of warm clear waters and colorful culture.

You know, I agree with you when it comes to soaking up some history while visiting places. But you know, it is not coming here and having no knowledge or understanding of it all that it the crime. This is fine. The crime is visiting and then leaving and making no effort to appreciate it.

I will be honest and say that most holidaymakers come to Rhodes and show a lot of interest in the history. They will take time to visit places such as Lindos, The Medieval City and maybe some castles. This is really great.

There are others though that just prefer to lay in the sun. I can understand that too in all honesty. Each person makes their own choice. I like to explore though!

I go on holiday to see something I have not seen before. For example, why go to New York to sit in a bar and not see Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty? I can sit in a bar at home can’t I?

Like I say, all people are different. Nobody can judge!

As for the issue with Macedonia, it is a very sensitive issue. I want to talk to you about it, but if you send me a private message we can discuss it there! This is a subject that people feel very strongly about, and I do not want to upset anyone on here!

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies and tracking. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.